WEBVTT 00:00:01.939 --> 00:00:04.759 Welcome to Life Group. We invite you to join 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:07.400 us in this verse -by -verse study through the 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:10.740 Word of God. In this lesson, we'll be looking 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:15.660 at Romans chapters 9 -11. In the first eight 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:18.440 chapters of Romans, Paul taught about man's need 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:22.140 for salvation and God's provision in Jesus through 00:00:22.140 --> 00:00:25.179 the Holy Spirit. But here in these chapters, 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:30.269 9 -11, there's a slight shift in focus. Here, 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:33.250 Paul addresses issues related to Israel's condition. 00:00:34.189 --> 00:00:37.229 And we see the question, what are the implications 00:00:37.229 --> 00:00:42.789 of Israel missing the Messiah? In these chapters, 00:00:42.929 --> 00:00:47.170 they deal with a few key points. We see Israel 00:00:47.170 --> 00:00:51.130 as a nation. We see them dealing with how God's 00:00:51.130 --> 00:00:55.270 redemptive plan unfolds. We see the inclusion 00:00:55.270 --> 00:00:59.560 of Gentiles. and the importance of responding 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:03.659 in faith. So let's begin picking up with Romans 00:01:03.659 --> 00:01:09.359 9 verse 1. With Christ as my witness, I speak 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.959 with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.659 Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with 00:01:16.659 --> 00:01:20.799 bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, 00:01:20.939 --> 00:01:25.000 my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:28.709 to be forever cursed. cut off from Christ if 00:01:28.709 --> 00:01:32.370 that would save them. They are the people of 00:01:32.370 --> 00:01:35.489 Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. 00:01:36.030 --> 00:01:40.049 God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants 00:01:40.049 --> 00:01:44.030 with them and gave them his law. He gave them 00:01:44.030 --> 00:01:46.650 the privilege of worshiping him and receiving 00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:52.010 his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 00:01:52.010 --> 00:01:55.890 are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an 00:01:55.890 --> 00:01:58.819 Israelite. as far as his human nature is concerned. 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:03.280 And he is God, the one who rules over everything 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:08.639 and is worthy of eternal praise. Amen. In these 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.479 verses, we see Paul is grieved over Israel, not 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.780 because God rejected Israel, but because Israel 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:20.500 rejected Jesus as the Messiah. When it came to 00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:23.680 ministry, the Jews were Paul's worst enemies. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.319 They harassed and persecuted him from town to 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:30.240 town, stirring up lies and violence against him. 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:35.860 But even then, he still loved them and was deeply 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:38.460 concerned about their souls, and we see that. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:44.680 Verse 6. Well then, has God failed to fulfill 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:49.300 his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:51.960 born into the nation of Israel are truly members 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:55.599 of God's people. Being descendants of Abraham 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:00.039 doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:03.139 the scriptures say, Isaac is the son through 00:03:03.139 --> 00:03:06.240 whom your descendants will be counted, though 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:10.979 Abraham had other children too. This means that 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:14.240 Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:18.139 children of God. Only the children of the promise 00:03:18.139 --> 00:03:21.439 are considered to be Abraham's children. For 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:26.879 God had promised. I will return about this time 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:32.240 next year, and Sarah will have a son. These verses 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:35.379 show that not all who are born into the nation 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:37.960 of Israel are truly members of God's people. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:41.719 But they also show that God always intended his 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:45.599 people to be defined by faith, not by their race 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:50.060 and not by their works. Picking up in verse 10. 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:55.819 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married 00:03:55.819 --> 00:03:59.620 Rebecca, she gave birth to twins. But before 00:03:59.620 --> 00:04:02.659 they were born, before they had done anything 00:04:02.659 --> 00:04:05.639 good or bad, she received a message from God. 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:09.900 This message shows that God chooses people according 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:14.280 to his own purposes. He calls people, but not 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:17.379 according to their good or bad works. She was 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:20.860 told, Your older son will serve your younger 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:25.740 son. In the words of the scriptures, I love Jacob, 00:04:25.899 --> 00:04:32.120 but I rejected Esau. So we see here that we must 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:34.939 keep in mind the omniscience and foreknowledge 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:38.800 of God. God knew the future choices and responses 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.240 of people who would be or not be in the lineage 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:47.170 of Jesus. And when we track the stories, we see 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:51.629 that God always showed patience and mercy. For 00:04:51.629 --> 00:04:55.970 instance, Esau rebelled against God. He despised 00:04:55.970 --> 00:04:59.670 his birthright. He marries outside of God's commands. 00:05:00.810 --> 00:05:04.509 And what we need to realize is that, no, God 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:08.170 did not predetermine these choices, but in his 00:05:08.170 --> 00:05:11.149 omniscience, in his foreknowledge, he knew Esau 00:05:11.149 --> 00:05:15.949 would make them. Another important thing to note 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:19.410 is that English translations put that God loved 00:05:19.410 --> 00:05:24.550 Jacob but rejected or hated Esau. But in Hebrew, 00:05:24.649 --> 00:05:28.649 that word rejected or hated really means preferred 00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:32.490 less. Two, it's important to note that this quote 00:05:32.490 --> 00:05:35.569 was written hundreds of years after Esau's death 00:05:35.569 --> 00:05:41.389 in Malachi 1 verses 2 through 3. So we see here 00:05:41.389 --> 00:05:44.600 that God, in his foreknowledge, he preferred 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.399 Jacob over Esau to be in the lineage of Jesus. 00:05:49.779 --> 00:05:55.000 Verse 14. Are we saying then that God was unfair? 00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:00.100 Of course not. For God said to Moses, I will 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:03.800 show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:07.899 compassion to anyone I choose. So it is God who 00:06:07.899 --> 00:06:11.319 decides to show mercy. We can neither choose 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:15.699 it, nor work for it. For the scriptures say that 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:19.000 God told Pharaoh, I have appointed you for the 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:22.399 very purpose of displaying my power in you and 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.759 to spread my fame throughout the earth. So you 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:29.579 see, God chooses to show mercy to some and he 00:06:29.579 --> 00:06:32.779 chooses to harden the hearts of others so they 00:06:32.779 --> 00:06:38.699 refuse to listen. So these verses share a word 00:06:38.699 --> 00:06:41.639 called hardened. And what does hardened mean? 00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:45.259 Hardened means that God allowed Pharaoh to continue 00:06:45.259 --> 00:06:47.879 to walk in the stubbornness Pharaoh had already 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:54.639 chosen. Verse 19. Well then, you might say, why 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:58.339 does God blame people for not responding? Haven't 00:06:58.339 --> 00:07:02.980 they simply done what he makes them do? No, don't 00:07:02.980 --> 00:07:07.399 say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:10.610 argue with God? Should the thing that was created 00:07:10.610 --> 00:07:13.829 say to the one who created it, Why have you made 00:07:13.829 --> 00:07:17.850 me like this? When a potter makes jars out of 00:07:17.850 --> 00:07:21.490 clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same 00:07:21.490 --> 00:07:24.930 lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and 00:07:24.930 --> 00:07:29.009 another to throw garbage into? In the same way, 00:07:29.029 --> 00:07:32.269 even though God has the right to show his anger 00:07:32.269 --> 00:07:35.730 and his power, he is very patient with those 00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:39.449 on whom his anger falls. who are destined for 00:07:39.449 --> 00:07:43.329 destruction. He does this to make the riches 00:07:43.329 --> 00:07:46.129 of his glory shine even brighter on those to 00:07:46.129 --> 00:07:49.649 whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance 00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:54.189 for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, 00:07:54.449 --> 00:07:59.709 both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. We 00:07:59.709 --> 00:08:02.370 see in these verses that the potter analogy is 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:06.649 about nations and roles, not every specific individual. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:13.620 God used Israel to bring salvation to all. Picking 00:08:13.620 --> 00:08:38.860 up in verse 25. There they will be called children 00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:44.460 of the living God. And concerning Israel, Isaiah 00:08:44.460 --> 00:09:03.379 the prophet cried out, And Isaiah said the same 00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:06.399 thing in another place. If the Lord of Heaven's 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:08.879 armies had not spared a few of our children, 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:13.080 we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:17.879 like Gomorrah. What does all this mean? Even 00:09:17.879 --> 00:09:20.080 though the Gentiles were not trying to follow 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:23.019 God's standards, they were made right with God. 00:09:23.580 --> 00:09:27.700 And it was by faith that this took place. But 00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:30.779 the people of Israel who tried so hard to get 00:09:30.779 --> 00:09:34.200 right with God by keeping the law never succeeded. 00:09:35.370 --> 00:09:38.629 Why not? Because they were trying to get right 00:09:38.629 --> 00:09:41.389 with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting 00:09:41.389 --> 00:09:45.429 in him. They stumbled over the great rock in 00:09:45.429 --> 00:09:48.909 their path. God warned them of this in scriptures 00:09:48.909 --> 00:09:51.990 when he said, I am placing a stone in Jerusalem 00:09:51.990 --> 00:09:55.370 that makes people stumble, a rock that makes 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:58.769 them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will 00:09:58.769 --> 00:10:02.750 never be disgraced. So we got to ask the question. 00:10:03.450 --> 00:10:06.210 How did the Gentiles find righteousness when 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:10.789 many Jews did not? Well, the answer that these 00:10:10.789 --> 00:10:13.529 passages show is because the Gentiles received 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:17.990 righteousness by faith. While the Jews continued 00:10:17.990 --> 00:10:20.509 to pursue righteousness by trying to keep the 00:10:20.509 --> 00:10:23.809 law, the Gentiles received righteousness by faith. 00:10:24.330 --> 00:10:27.129 And everyone who will ever be right with God 00:10:27.129 --> 00:10:30.990 will do so through faith, by being declared righteous. 00:10:32.139 --> 00:10:36.399 The stone the Jews stumbled on was the very stone 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:40.240 of faith in Christ. Picking up with chapter 10, 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:44.860 verse 1. Dear brothers and sisters, the longing 00:10:44.860 --> 00:10:48.559 of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:52.440 of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:56.100 they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal, 00:10:56.259 --> 00:10:59.500 for they don't understand God's way of making 00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:02.879 people right with himself. Refusing to accept 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:06.299 God's way, they cling to their own way of getting 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:10.740 right with God by trying to keep the law. For 00:11:10.740 --> 00:11:14.200 Christ has already accomplished the purpose for 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.600 which the law was given. As a result, all who 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:23.059 believe in him are made right with God. Again, 00:11:23.139 --> 00:11:28.500 we see that the issue is Israel's refusal to 00:11:28.500 --> 00:11:31.929 receive righteousness by faith. They pursued 00:11:31.929 --> 00:11:36.370 the law instead of trusting in Christ. Picking 00:11:36.370 --> 00:11:40.490 up with verse 5. For Moses writes that the law's 00:11:40.490 --> 00:11:43.330 way of making a person right with God requires 00:11:43.330 --> 00:11:48.230 obedience to all of its commands. But faith's 00:11:48.230 --> 00:11:51.610 way of getting right with God says, don't say 00:11:51.610 --> 00:11:54.490 in your heart who will go up to heaven to bring 00:11:54.490 --> 00:11:57.350 Christ down to earth, and don't say who will 00:11:57.350 --> 00:12:00.830 go down to the place of the dead. To bring Christ 00:12:00.830 --> 00:12:05.889 back to life again. In these verses we see that 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:08.789 the Messiah is not coming back to finish his 00:12:08.789 --> 00:12:13.710 work of salvation. Jesus completed his work the 00:12:13.710 --> 00:12:17.230 first time. And everything he accomplished is 00:12:17.230 --> 00:12:22.690 now available to everyone who believes. Picking 00:12:22.690 --> 00:12:27.590 up in verse 8. In fact, it says, the message 00:12:27.590 --> 00:12:32.210 is very close at hand. It is on your lips and 00:12:32.210 --> 00:12:36.090 in your heart. And that message is the very message 00:12:36.090 --> 00:12:40.490 about faith that we preach. If you openly declare 00:12:40.490 --> 00:12:43.429 that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart 00:12:43.429 --> 00:12:46.929 that God raised him from the dead, you will be 00:12:46.929 --> 00:12:51.909 saved. For it is by believing in your heart that 00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:54.750 you are made right with God. And it is by openly 00:12:54.750 --> 00:12:59.080 declaring your faith that you are saved. As the 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:02.000 scriptures tell us, anyone who trusts in him 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:06.220 will never be disgraced. Jew and Gentile are 00:13:06.220 --> 00:13:09.720 the same in this respect. They have the same 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.860 Lord who gives generously to all who call on 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:18.299 him. In these verses, we see that receiving God's 00:13:18.299 --> 00:13:22.360 promises is always very close. Whether it's salvation 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:24.899 or any other promise of God, it's always very 00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:28.980 close. It's in our hearts. and in our mouths 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:34.700 faith in the word or the message begins in the 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:39.000 heart but it must be acted on through confession 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:43.279 we see the process in the verses we just looked 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:46.500 at you you have to believe in the resurrection 00:13:46.500 --> 00:13:50.480 you have to believe that jesus and his work on 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:53.980 the cross can make you right with god but then 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:56.500 you also have to act on that you have to confess 00:13:57.210 --> 00:14:04.730 Jesus as your Lord. Verse 13. For everyone who 00:14:04.730 --> 00:14:08.070 calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:14:08.509 --> 00:14:11.710 What an amazing verse. This is a clear invitation 00:14:11.710 --> 00:14:16.309 for everyone. It's not limited or selective in 00:14:16.309 --> 00:14:20.909 any way. Confession and belief are the faith 00:14:20.909 --> 00:14:26.879 conditions that any human must respond to in 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:33.100 order to be saved. Verse 14. But how can they 00:14:33.100 --> 00:14:35.740 call on him to save them unless they believe 00:14:35.740 --> 00:14:39.100 in him? And how can they believe in him if they've 00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:42.159 never heard about him? And how can they hear 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.539 about him unless someone tells them? And how 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:48.740 will anyone go and tell them without being sent? 00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:52.740 This is why the scriptures say, how beautiful 00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:56.639 are the feet of messengers who bring Good news. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:02.360 In these verses, we see that there's a clear 00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:07.600 command. We must share the gospel. People cannot 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.899 believe in Christ without hearing. We must share 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:15.460 the gospel. We must be involved in helping other 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:19.019 people share the gospel with those that we may 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:23.039 never meet face to face. Why? Because people 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:28.740 can't believe. without first hearing. Verse 16. 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:33.720 But not everyone welcomes the good news. For 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:36.919 Isaiah the prophet said, Lord, who has believed 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:41.299 our message? So faith comes from hearing, that 00:15:41.299 --> 00:15:48.000 is, hearing the good news about Christ. The message 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:53.610 must be heard before it can be believed. This 00:15:53.610 --> 00:15:56.549 is where we get what we say often. Faith comes 00:15:56.549 --> 00:15:59.250 by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It 00:15:59.250 --> 00:16:03.370 has to be a promise from God before it can be 00:16:03.370 --> 00:16:06.629 believed on. And you have to hear it before you 00:16:06.629 --> 00:16:13.210 can believe. Verse 18. But I ask, have the people 00:16:13.210 --> 00:16:17.490 of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they 00:16:17.490 --> 00:16:21.210 have. The message has gone throughout the earth. 00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:26.779 and the words to all the world. But I ask, did 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:30.960 the people of Israel really understand? Yes, 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.960 they did. For even in the time of Moses, God 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:49.340 said, And later, Isaiah spoke boldly for God, 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.059 saying, I was found by people who were not looking 00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:56.539 for me. I showed myself to those who were not 00:16:56.539 --> 00:17:01.220 asking for me. But regarding Israel, God said, 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:06.279 All day long I opened my arms to them, but they 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:11.799 were disobedient and rebellious. In these verses 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:14.420 we see that if people are lost, it's because 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:19.220 of something in the process. Either they didn't 00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:22.730 hear, or they didn't believe when they heard, 00:17:22.829 --> 00:17:26.309 or they would not confess Jesus as Lord after 00:17:26.309 --> 00:17:31.529 they heard or believed. The gospel, the good 00:17:31.529 --> 00:17:36.750 news, is offered genuinely and universally. Salvation 00:17:36.750 --> 00:17:42.190 is possible, and it's offered to all, Jew and 00:17:42.190 --> 00:17:48.029 Gentile alike. Chapter 11, verse 1. I ask then, 00:17:48.589 --> 00:17:52.009 Has God rejected his own people, the nation of 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:56.609 Israel? Of course not. I myself am an Israelite, 00:17:56.650 --> 00:17:59.750 a descendant of Abraham, and a member of the 00:17:59.750 --> 00:18:04.150 tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected his 00:18:04.150 --> 00:18:07.230 own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. 00:18:07.910 --> 00:18:10.650 Do you realize what the scriptures say about 00:18:10.650 --> 00:18:14.190 this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about 00:18:14.190 --> 00:18:17.539 the people of Israel and said, Lord, They have 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:20.619 killed your prophets and torn down your altars. 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:24.259 I am the only one left, and now they are trying 00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:28.160 to kill me too. And do you remember God's reply? 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:33.660 He said, No, I have 7 ,000 others who have never 00:18:33.660 --> 00:18:38.299 bowed down to Baal. It is the same today, for 00:18:38.299 --> 00:18:40.960 a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:44.519 because of God's grace, His undeserved kindness 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:48.650 in choosing them. And since it is through God's 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:51.630 kindness, then it is not by their good works. 00:18:52.069 --> 00:18:55.809 For in that case, God's grace would not be what 00:18:55.809 --> 00:19:01.910 it really is, free and undeserved. Here Paul 00:19:01.910 --> 00:19:05.509 is saying, has God rejected Israel? And his answer 00:19:05.509 --> 00:19:09.710 is, no, of course not. And they teach that there 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:12.650 has always been a faith remnant. And he gave 00:19:12.650 --> 00:19:16.579 the example of Elijah. That there were 7 ,000 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:23.460 who had remained in faith. Verse 7. So this is 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:26.839 the situation. Most of the people of Israel have 00:19:26.839 --> 00:19:29.420 not found the favor of God they are looking for 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:34.140 so earnestly. A few have, the ones God has chosen, 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:38.119 but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:41.500 the scriptures say, God has put them into a deep 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.910 sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so 00:19:44.910 --> 00:19:48.150 that they do not see and closed their ears so 00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:52.250 that they do not hear. Likewise, David said, 00:19:52.490 --> 00:19:56.670 Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap 00:19:56.670 --> 00:20:00.029 that makes them think all is well. Let their 00:20:00.029 --> 00:20:03.289 blessings cause them to stumble and let them 00:20:03.289 --> 00:20:06.829 get what they deserve. Let their eyes go blind 00:20:06.829 --> 00:20:10.150 so that they cannot see and let their backs be 00:20:10.150 --> 00:20:14.839 bent forever. Did God's people stumble and fall 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:19.220 beyond recovery? Of course not. They were disobedient. 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:23.140 So God made salvation available to the Gentiles. 00:20:23.700 --> 00:20:26.539 But He wanted His own people to become jealous 00:20:26.539 --> 00:20:30.940 and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:33.440 were enriched because of the people of Israel 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:37.700 turned down God's offer of salvation, think how 00:20:37.700 --> 00:20:40.400 much greater a blessing the world will share 00:20:40.940 --> 00:20:45.099 when they finally accept it. I am saying all 00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:48.940 this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed 00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:52.819 me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:56.200 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel 00:20:56.200 --> 00:21:00.019 jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might 00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:04.140 save some of them. For since their rejection 00:21:04.140 --> 00:21:06.839 meant that God offered salvation to the rest 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:10.619 of the world, Their acceptance will be even more 00:21:10.619 --> 00:21:14.599 wonderful. It will be life for those who were 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:18.519 dead. And since Abraham and the other patriarchs 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.960 were holy, their descendants will also be holy. 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:27.420 Just as the entire batch of dough is holy because 00:21:27.420 --> 00:21:31.480 the portion given as an offering is holy. For 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:34.440 if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:40.049 will be too. The Jewish rejection of Jesus, and 00:21:40.049 --> 00:21:42.869 these scriptures teach us that the Jewish rejection 00:21:42.869 --> 00:21:46.410 of Jesus as Messiah did not cause Gentiles to 00:21:46.410 --> 00:21:50.430 be saved. It just gave more opportunity for the 00:21:50.430 --> 00:21:54.289 gospel to spread to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles 00:21:54.289 --> 00:22:00.190 took advantage of this opportunity. Picking up 00:22:00.190 --> 00:22:03.970 in verse 17. But some of these branches from 00:22:03.970 --> 00:22:07.470 Abraham's tree Some of the people of Israel have 00:22:07.470 --> 00:22:11.450 been broken off, and you Gentiles, who were branches 00:22:11.450 --> 00:22:14.269 from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. 00:22:14.769 --> 00:22:18.329 So now you also receive the blessing of God has 00:22:18.329 --> 00:22:21.549 promised Abraham and his children, sharing in 00:22:21.549 --> 00:22:24.569 the rich nourishment from the root of God's special 00:22:24.569 --> 00:22:28.410 olive tree. But you must not brag about being 00:22:28.410 --> 00:22:30.730 grafted in to replace the branches that were 00:22:30.730 --> 00:22:34.430 broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. 00:22:35.690 --> 00:22:39.250 Well, you may say, those branches were broken 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:43.769 off to make room for me. Yes, but remember those 00:22:43.769 --> 00:22:46.150 branches were broken off because they didn't 00:22:46.150 --> 00:22:49.549 believe in Christ. And you are there because 00:22:49.549 --> 00:22:53.069 you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, 00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:57.829 but fear what could happen. For if God did not 00:22:57.829 --> 00:23:01.109 spare the original branches, he won't spare you 00:23:01.109 --> 00:23:05.890 either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. 00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:09.930 He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but 00:23:09.930 --> 00:23:13.089 kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. 00:23:13.869 --> 00:23:17.230 But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut 00:23:17.230 --> 00:23:20.690 off. And if the people of Israel turn from their 00:23:20.690 --> 00:23:24.210 unbelief, they will be grafted in again. For 00:23:24.210 --> 00:23:26.950 God has the power to graft them back into the 00:23:26.950 --> 00:23:32.750 tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from 00:23:32.750 --> 00:23:36.390 a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do 00:23:36.390 --> 00:23:39.369 something contrary to nature by grafting you 00:23:39.369 --> 00:23:42.970 into his cultivated tree, he will be far more 00:23:42.970 --> 00:23:46.289 eager to graft the original branches back into 00:23:46.289 --> 00:23:49.950 the tree where they belong. So we see in these 00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:53.609 verses that Israel was broken off because of 00:23:53.609 --> 00:23:57.890 unbelief, and Gentiles were grafted in by faith. 00:23:58.670 --> 00:24:02.230 And this all is said to show us that the human 00:24:02.230 --> 00:24:08.690 response matters. Verse 25. I want you to understand 00:24:08.690 --> 00:24:11.890 this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that 00:24:11.890 --> 00:24:15.349 you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some 00:24:15.349 --> 00:24:18.509 of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but 00:24:18.509 --> 00:24:21.049 this will last only until the full number of 00:24:21.049 --> 00:24:25.329 Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will 00:24:25.329 --> 00:24:29.559 be saved. As the scriptures say, the one who 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:32.619 rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:36.700 turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is 00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:39.140 my covenant with them, that I will take away 00:24:39.140 --> 00:24:43.079 their sins. Many of the people of Israel are 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:46.339 now enemies of the good news, and this benefits 00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:50.859 you Gentiles. Yet, there are still the people 00:24:50.859 --> 00:24:54.380 he loves because he chose their ancestors. Abraham, 00:24:54.539 --> 00:24:59.059 Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and His call 00:24:59.059 --> 00:25:04.059 can never be withdrawn. These verses do not mean 00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:06.599 that there will be a time when every person of 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:11.160 Jewish descent will be saved. But they do explain 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:13.420 that there will be a time when the nation as 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:17.180 a whole, especially its leadership, will embrace 00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:23.940 Jesus as the Messiah. Verse 30 Once you Gentiles 00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:26.980 were rebels against God, but when the people 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:30.420 of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful 00:25:30.420 --> 00:25:35.160 to you instead. Now they are rebels, and God's 00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:38.339 mercy has come to you so that they too will share 00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:42.000 in God's mercy. For God has imprisoned everyone 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.759 in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. 00:25:47.880 --> 00:25:52.460 This phrase, imprisoned in disobedience, is referring 00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:56.660 to the law, showing everyone their need for salvation. 00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:01.559 Remember, as we looked at in previous chapters, 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:05.779 that the law imprisoned everyone in sin. And 00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:08.440 that's what Paul is communicating here. And also 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:12.099 that grace is what sets us free from that sin. 00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:15.200 And it's that same grace for the Jew and for 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:19.680 the Gentile. Picking up in verse 33. Oh, how 00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.480 great are God's riches in wisdom and knowledge! 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:26.440 How impossible it is for us to understand His 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:30.579 decisions and His ways! For who can know the 00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:33.839 Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.859 advice? And who has given Him so much that He 00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:41.940 needs to pay it back? For everything comes from 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:46.940 Him and exists by His power and is intended for 00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:53.809 His glory. All glory to him forever. Amen. We 00:26:53.809 --> 00:26:56.730 see in these verses that God's plan of redemption 00:26:56.730 --> 00:27:01.329 from beginning to end is amazing. There is great 00:27:01.329 --> 00:27:05.009 knowledge, wisdom, and compassion in his plan. 00:27:05.809 --> 00:27:10.430 Past, present, and future. Thank you for joining 00:27:10.430 --> 00:27:13.349 us for Life Group. Allow God's word to build 00:27:13.349 --> 00:27:15.549 your faith and transform your life.